EXPERTISE

Forum advises on all aspects of corporate finance including debt and equity capital raising, strategy, buy-side and sell-side M&A, and valuations. Our corporate finance and sector expertise allow us to position our clients, giving them a distinct competitive advantage. We work in a diverse range of sectors, from consumer goods to financial institutions, and from design to real estate.

Debt

We balance risk and return metrics to optimise funding structures to enable clients to achieve their strategic objectives. We can source a full range of senior and subordinated debt, and hybrid solutions.

Forum works with clients to develop financial models which achieve optimum levels of borrowing and provide operating efficiency, while minimising financial risk. We ensure that operating headroom is sufficient and perform sensitivity analyses to test variables under different scenarios.

We consider all debt market alternatives and source a selection of potential investors, including both banks and alternative lenders. We negotiate terms and conditions to achieve a minimal cost of capital, and review all documentation to ensure the facility is on fair market terms.

Equity Capital Raising

We develop venture capital and private equity solutions that allow entrepreneurs and senior managers to realise their ambitions, building true win-win partnerships with investors.

Forum works with clients to evaluate the degree to which equity financing will be desirable to achieve ambitions over other sources of funding. We carefully model future cash flows to determine a realistic valuation which limits dilution and attracts a suitable investor.

We engage our professional network, encompassing private equity, venture capital, hedge funds, family offices and high net worth individuals to identify the optimal match. We manage the dialogue from first contact through to completion, while maintaining absolute confidentiality.

Strategy

On the strength of our long term relationships, we advise on strategy, identifying key valuation milestones, enhancing the predictability of cash flow, and establishing an optimal track record.

Forum will often work with a client on a retained basis over a period of several months or years, advising on key strategic issues: identification of key performance indicators; market analysis; acquisition and divestiture; target filtering and prioritising; and optimising organic growth.

Crucially, this unique service offer enables us to help prepare the business for a merger, acquisition or capital raising transaction, working closely with management to identify the optimal moment to enter the marketplace.

M&A Buy Side

We leverage our strategic review of all potential targets to identify the optimal value enhancing opportunities. We bring to bear tactical know-how to deliver tangible results.

During acquisitions, Forum works with management to develop a future external growth strategy. We help clients to define objectives and identify potential target businesses, evaluating the prospects and prioritising them according to the client’s specifications.

We manage target contact, valuation, and negotiation through to completion. We are not afraid advise a client to walk away from an unfavourable deal, and our process ensures absolute confidentiality. We have contacts with a wide range of financial sponsors, banks and alternative lenders, enabling us to swiftly arrange and negotiate any financing required.

M&A Sell Side

We develop a bespoke plan for monetising our client’s business. We isolate key value drivers, prepare the business for sale, target the best investors and execute on a realistic schedule, while preserving absolute confidentiality.

As well as our existing contacts with both financial sponsors and trade buyers, Forum can analyse the market and prioritise potential buyers by their strategic positioning and potential synergies. We can manage the dialogue and steer the negotiation to shield the client from the process, ensure minimal disruption to the business, and optimise the outcome.

We then provide objective advice on bids received, secure maximum value, and create competitive tension between bidders. We assist in negotiating documentation, liaising with or sourcing other advisors, and managing the process through to a successful close.

Valuations

We view valuations as more art than science. Any asset or business is influenced by a unique mix of factors, quantitative and qualitative. Forum tailors each valuation assignment to reflect specific strengths and weaknesses, macroeconomic factors and technological and regulatory change.

We apply a broad experience set built over 21 years working in diverse markets across the globe. We are exceptionally client centric so we take great pains to understand a client’s objectives and how to optimise outcomes for the client by adding real value.